A four-man heavyweight grand prix will kick off at RIZIN 54 this August.
In a press release issued on Thursday, promotion officials announced that the RIZIN JAPAN Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament will take place starting at RIZIN 54 on August 11, 2026 at the Toyota Arena.
The grand prix final will take place at an event held in November.
Three of the heavyweights taking part were revealed on Thursday, with the last name to be released in future. Those three are: Tsuyoshi Sudario, Mikio Ueda, and King Edokpolo.
Sudario, a former sumo wrestler, joined RIZIN in 2020, and has posted a 9-4 record with the promotion (where he has spent his entire MMA career) to date. He’s faced the likes of current UFC star Junior Tafa and ex-UFC heavyweight Roque Martinez, among others. Sudario will enter the grand prix off a loss against José Augusto Azevedo last May.
The 2-0 King Edokpolo has both his wins under the RIZIN banner, after debuting in the company in 2024. The 25-year old Osaka-born fighter has finished both his pro MMA fights to date.
Mikio Ueda saw a two-fight win streak snapped by Alexander Soldatkin last May. He’s 5-3 overall and 4-2 under the RIZIN banner.
No match-ups have been announced for the upcoming RIZIN Japan Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament as of yet.
